Joined: 10/01/2020(UTC)
Posts: 39
Location: England, Swindon
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Does anyone have experience on sticking cam on the contact rails, and a solution?
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 Joined: 02/02/2017(UTC) Views messages in topic : 694 Location: England, South Coast
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There is a Youtube thing about it but in all honesty it is common sense and observation.
1 Compare the 'springs' with a good one to the one you have that sticks and bend to match. They should be fairly flat with not too much pressure on the cam. It is easiest to dismantle the thing (remove the cam) to bend the springs otherwise they tend to go off to one side.
2 Make sure the sides are not pressed in too hard
3 Don't clip an M track catenary post over it or you'll tighten No 2
4 If it looks a bit oily wash it in lighter fluid
In my experience they do not always work straight out of the box even if they are supposed to be new old stock. Once sorted they stay sorted and can be very reliable so long as they are not lubricated.
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 4 users liked this useful post by Michael4
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 Joined: 04/02/2011(UTC) Posts: 3,564 Location: Paris, France
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Hi I found also that in difficult cases it is better to remove the transparent plastic piece (the cam) to correct contacts. For this simply bend a little the two zones where is the axle away from the center. don't forget to bend them back in place when finished and tested Also when correcting the metal contacts, make sure the contacts are 2 to 3 mm away from the contact zone. This is about not only making them work but also requiring a minimal force from the slider (not forcing it to take off)  Make sure when the cam is in place that both contacts are away from the contact zone by 1 mm Cheers Jean |
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1 user liked this useful post by JohnjeanB
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Joined: 10/01/2020(UTC)
Posts: 39
Location: England, Swindon
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Many Thanks , I will have ago, have played around with trying to get more tension on the spring contact but without good results but have not tried dismantling the cam.
I think the old contact rail 5104 are more reliable as long as you have them where a train is not standing for long.
D
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 Joined: 29/01/2012(UTC) Posts: 1,422 Location: Montreal, Canada
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Originally Posted by: David240945  Does anyone have experience on sticking cam on the contact rails, and a solution? Hello David, If you are not playing to permanently screw down the track for a permanent layout then these kinds of contact rails can be fun. I have spent a good deal of time fiddling with them and have used teflon lubricant and a bit of bending and prodding. However the major drawback is that after time things bend more or contract and expand and they will stick again and create problems. If you are planning something permanent I strongly suggest using another kind of contact rail or sensor to avoid having to rip them up from your hard working permanent layout. Finding another solution is well worth your cost and time, I had to learn the hard way. They worked quite well for a while but then become useless and stuck so I had to just cut the wire underneath the layout and leave them until they can be removed or exchanged with another solution. Peace, Mark |
DB DR FS NS SNCF c. 1950-65, fan of station architecture esp. from 1920-70.
In single point perspective, where do track lines meet?
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Joined: 04/02/2011(UTC) Posts: 3,564 Location: Paris, France
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Hi
I am sorry to say I disagree. Those contact rails are excellent and very reliable over the years PROVIDED they are correctly adjusted.
IMO it is very feasible BUT ONLY if you remove the cam to restore some pressure on the can by the contacts (not too much so that they never force the loco's slider to "take off").
You cannot do this while the cam is in place. Lubricating the cam is only needed if there is a corrosive environnement (rust that may affect rotation of the cam.
I have used these rails and the former versions (contact rails 5164 and 5165) and with these older versions I have burnt a few solenoids (nylon insulator changing its shape and blocking the iron mobile core).
When they were new, very little of the directional contact track pieces (5146, 5147, 5213) were faulty, only sometimes, the contact blades were too stiff and would only work with "strong" sliders (i.e.: {too} firmly pushing down on the studs).
They really added to Märklin fun (and so the 6600 unit allowing the reverse locos from a contact rail - what fun we had then).
Cheers
Jean |
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 Joined: 04/08/2015(UTC) Posts: 74 Location: Stockholms Lan, Stockholm
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Lubricate with dry teflon lubricant, not teflon oil, helped me!
Henrik Schütz ,Stockholm
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